READER Una Ozga, from France, wrote of her father who produced the “Scottish Socialist” paper (Letters, May 27). Would this be Oliver Brown; brilliant pamphleteer and stormy oricist, headmaster of a school in Milngavie, Scottish Nationalist, Republican, member of the Labour Party’s Self Government Committee, 1940, founder member of the National Party of Scotland, Scottish Secretariat, etc, etc?
In 1983, the Scots Independent launched the Oliver Brown Award in his memory, giving it annually to the public figure judged to have done most to advance Scotland’s self-respect.
At the 1950 General Election, Brown stood in Greenock as an Irish Anti-Partitionist and Scottish Nationalist, backed by the Irish Anti-Partition League, their Greenock branch being the largest in Scotland, with more than 800 members. He was neither Irish nor Catholic and refused to support the organisation’s policy of establishing more Catholic schools in England and took last place in the poll, with only 718 votes. Following the result, he claimed that “I appealed to the intelligent section of the electorate and the result shows that I have received their unanimous support”
Oliver Brown was a leading member of the second, more republican Scottish Socialist Party of the 1940s and 1950s. The First SSP was by (Sir) Patrick Dolan, 1932. “Olli’s” remained small, based around speeches
he would give from his soapbox on the corner of Sauchiehall Street and Wellington Street in Glasgow, generally with fewer than ten supporters.
I was told by the Treasurer of the 1820 Society, Iain O Bain, that four attended its inaugural meeting. One was a Special Branch agent and the Treasurer absconded with the funds.
The third SSP was formed from 1988-1990 and Bill Kidd stood in the Glasgow Central by-election of 1989, losing to Labour’s curtain [fire] raiser, Lord Watson of Invergowrie.
The SSP, like Sillars’s “Scottish Labour Party”, was heavily infiltrated by British entrists, leading to its demise: a lesson here? Jim Sillars and the late Dr James D Young were also members, as were well known splitters and British agents. Many of them gained careers in the Labour Party. How they laughed when warned of this in a letter by me, read out to their inaugural conference.
The fourth SSP was formed in 1999 from the Scottish Socialist Alliance conference of 1998 and other groupings, all supporting an independent socialist Scotland. It ended in tears and recriminations after allowing Unionist platforms to become the controlling majority. The SSP tried to cling to life by forming its Rise Alliance with the Radical Independence Campaign and others still at loggerheads with each other.
His dochter, Ms Ozga has much to be proud of. Oliver was a man of principle, whose politics are finally coming to light.
Donald Anderson
Glasgow
The UK has nothing to show from a 40-year oil boom
FOR the first time, North Sea oil and gas has made a loss to the UK Treasury, no doubt proving conclusively that Scotland needs the broad shoulders and deep pockets of the UK for support in times of crisis (The Treasury sees oil and gas revenues fall to lowest ever, The National, May 27).
This might be the moment to remind everybody that the Scottish Government has never had any control over the North Sea oil and gas industry and has never received any income from that source.
The UK’s North Sea share has been and continues to be managed by the UK Government, which has collected and spent all the revenue for 40 years and now hasn’t got a penny in the bank to show for it.
There is no doubt that the UK bought some very expensive and showy gear from this windfall, but a closer examination now shows that the last remaining suit is threadbare, the broad shoulders were padded with worthless American property brochures and the pockets are bulging only because they are stuffed with IOUs.
The management of the North Sea is a matter of shame for the UK, which has squandered such a precious, valuable and finite resource when so much more could have done for the benefit of all. How badly the people of the UK have fared is obvious when compared to the attitude of another North Sea shareholder who now has billions invested in a fund for the future benefit of all its people.
John Jamieson
South Queensferry
YOUR report about the cuts in border bus services by First Group shows that transport is a public service that society must have and use (Rail success blamed for plans to axe bus services in Border, The National, May 27).
This is especially obvious in rural areas such as ours, as well as the Highlands and islands.
The excuse for these cuts of the competition by the new rail service is contemptible nonsense for anyone using a map.
This not only affects the elderly and the young, though these are the most obvious and immediate victims. We all share our environment and have climate chaos as a repeated reminder, as well as the damage done to everyone’s health by pollution.
As long as nearly all our services are required to make a profit for a few shareholders the users are going to be penalised, and some will resort to added the added pollution of using inefficient private vehicles.
In the recent elections, Rise – and for many years before also the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) – advocated the case for free public transport that is bus, rail and ferry.
Short-sighted critics of Rise or the SSP have made the case for short-term private profit. Here in the Borders, when there has been very short-term special offers for
bus fares in the past, there has been an obvious increase in the use of buses and nowadays a visible popular use by those of us with a
bus pass.
The case for free public transport is made, and we cannot afford not to do a little more to save our atmosphere.
Norman Lockhart
Innerleithen
I AM rather concerned over the EU Mythbuster on the latest addressed paraphernalia from Vote Leave.
The quote made by Stephen Gethins MP (about the European fishing policy and the Common Fisheries Policies failings) has been conveniently chosen for mischief-making, and the mention of further negotiation to improve the situation within an EU context has been deliberately left out.
If we choose to leave the EU, all of the UK’s fishing industry will be in tatters, as the rest of the EU’s fishing fleets will help themselves to the North Sea riches while we have the only protection of a couple of fishery protection vessels.
The best thing is for Scotland to become independent in its own right and not be under the rule of Westminster.
Bob Harper
Anstruther
THANKS for the absolutely excellent article by Gordon MacIntyre Kemp on the EU (Scotland would be hit the hardest by Brexit vote, The National, May 27). Any SNP member who thinks it’s a good idea to take us out of Europe and leave us at the mercy of Westminster’s Little Englanders needs a good thump on the head.
Dave McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here